Middlesbrough 5k
Despite a calf-niggle that had been troubling me on and off for the last couple of months,
I felt in good nick fitness-wise, so decided that as I’d already entered this race, that I’d
give it a go. Just after parking up, I bumped into David Ainsley, Darren Clements and
also a few of the Billingham Marsh House lads outside the East Stand. After a brief
chat, I thought I’d stretch my legs a bit then get into a thorough warm-up routine. I could
feel twinges in my troublesome calf when warming up, but thankfully that’s all they were.
I started in what I thought was the right place, entering the gap in the barriers to place
myself between the 20-25 minute runners and the sub-20 minute runners, though I was
hoping to go sub-20 myself. As some will know, Eddie Meehan loves to point out that
he’s gone under 20 minutes for 5k but I haven’t. Hopefully, this was the time I’d lay that
one to rest and win the little bet that Eddie and I have on the matter.
In the first 200 yards, I overtook several runners who were with all due respect to them,
no way sub-20 runners but had obviously started in front of me, so maybe some are less
than honest when it comes to starting in the right place. Maybe in future, I’ll have to
adopt an “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” approach. To ensure I didn’t get boxed in for
the first kilometre, I found myself going a wee bit quicker than I’d have ideally liked,
completing it in 3:50. I soon settled into a rhythm of 4 minute kilometres, for both the
next two. I felt a couple more twinges in my calf including outside Middlesbrough
College where I hit the 3km mark on 11:50. Although New Marske’s Erin Pearson
usually has the upper hand against me, I managed to go past her around this point. I
also saw Redcar’s Pam Costello stood at the side after apparently dropping out. I hope
it was nothing too serious and that she soon recovers from whatever it was.
Nevertheless, extremely disappointed as she must have been, she stayed around to
encourage the other runners, so fair play to her.
I was probably feeling the pace a bit as I ran along Windward way with about 1.5 km to
go and did the 4th kilometre in 4:10. Thankfully, as my time was 16 minutes dead, I was
still on course for a PB. As we went round the back of the South Stand just before we
turned to enter the stadium, I tried to up it again but felt another twinge in my calf.
Thankfully, it was just that and I entered the stadium on just over my target time of 19
minutes, meaning that as long as it didn’t take me more than a minute for the last 260
yards around the pitch, the PB and possibly a sub-20 5k was still on. As I hit the blue
mats on the finishing line, I glanced at my watch and it went from 19:59 to 20:00 so
definitely a PB, but had I gone under 20? You can imagine the frustration of when I got
my official time confirmed as 20:00. Not the first time I’d left the Riverside Stadium
wondering what might have been.
As many will know, the race was won by New Markse’s Dominic Shaw in a superb time
of 14:43. It was such a close finish that Morpeth’s Nick Swinburn was given the same
time. This must have been really exciting to watch. Danielle Hodgson from Wallsend
Harriers was the winner of the women’s race in 17:11. The first North York Moors
athlete was Paul Bentley in 12th in a time of 15:56. There were plenty of good
performances all round with 7 PBs and two season’s bests for our runners. I think it’s
fair to say that people reaped the rewards for their hard work and application in training
sessions in recent months. It was certainly a day for fast times, not surprising given the
good conditions as well.
Results for North York Moors athletes here:
gun
pos
12
34
42
45
54
60
64
72
75
77
82
104
109
131
133
135
152
189
216
347
380
34
42
45
54
60
64
72
75
77
82
104
109
131
133
135
152
189
216
347
380
gun
time
15:56
17:12
17:33
17:49
18:11
18:20
18:24
18:36
18:48
18:53
18:58
19:33
19:40
20:06
20:09
20:11
20:40
21:35
22:03
23:59
24:32
17:12
17:33
17:49
18:11
18:20
18:24
18:36
18:48
18:53
18:58
19:33
19:40
20:06
20:09
20:11
20:40
21:35
22:03
23:59
24:32
name
Paul
Kevin
Richard
Andrew
Bryan
David
Paul
Paul
Darren
Julian
David
Anthony
Barry
Brian
Gavin
Tom
Eddie
Stephen
Ian
Doug
David
Kevin
Richard
Andrew
Bryan
David
Paul
Paul
Darren
Julian
David
Anthony
Barry
Brian
Gavin
Tom
Eddie
Stephen
Ian
Doug
David
Bentley
McLoughlin
Fawcett
Race
Seysell
Aaron
Levett
Gamble
Clements
Barwick
Ainsley
Harnett
Dunne
Fielding
Struthers
Wall
Meehan
Kelleher
Wanless
Welsh
Murphy
McLoughlin
Fawcett
Race
Seysell
Aaron
Levett
Gamble
Clements
Barwick
Ainsley
Harnett
Dunne
Fielding
Struthers
Wall
Meehan
Kelleher
Wanless
Welsh
Murphy
club
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
North York Moors AC
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
cat
M
M45
M
M40
M45
M
M40
M
M
M50
M40
M50
M45
M40
M55
M40
M60
M50
M45
M60
M50
M45
M
M40
M45
M
M40
M
M
M50
M40
M50
M45
M40
M55
M40
M60
M50
M45
M60
M50
chip
time
15:56
17:11
17:32
17:48
18:09
18:18
18:22
18:34
18:46
18:51
18:57
19:30
19:37
20:01
20:07
20:00
20:37
21:32
21:58
23:37
24:10
17:11
17:32
17:48
18:09
18:18
18:22
18:34
18:46
18:51
18:57
19:30
19:37
20:01
20:07
20:00
20:37
21:32
21:58
23:37
24:10
chip
pos
12
34
42
45
54
60
62
72
75
78
83
105
110
132
135
130
154
190
224
330
375
34
42
45
54
60
62
72
75
78
83
105
110
132
135
130
154
190
224
330
375
PB or
SB
PB
PB
SB
PB
PB
PB
PB
SB
PB
PB
PB
SB
PB
PB
PB
PB
SB
PB